1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved Universal Multiple Angle Work Piece Holder which is capable of setting an object at any desired compound angle so that the object may be machined at any desired location. The invention further relates to an apparatus which can be securely adjusted in a manner that provides a firm support for the object to be machined and provides an angle adjustment design which allows the object to be machined to be adjacent the center lines of the Universal Multiple Angle Work Piece Holder. The present invention also relates to a tool which can easily be converted into other useful tools such as an indexing head to set a work piece at standard angles, a collet holder for use with machines such as a vertical milling machine or a surface grinder, or a dresser for use with a grinding wheel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, the present invention relates to tools which are commonly known as swivel vises. A swivel vise is a tool which is capable of being rotated through a series of pivotally connected members such that the object which is held by the tool can be set at any desired compound angle. Since the general coordinates which are set by this tool are spherical coordinates, the tool is also known as a 3-way angle vise.
The general concept of the swivel vise or 3-way angle vise is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,058 issued to Wiken et al. for a Machine Tool discloses a tool holder which comprises a base member adapted to be adjustably clamped on the work table of a conventional surface grinder; a vise unit or tool clamp proper, adapted to present the work to the wheel; and a plurality of intermediate support units or swivel members which provide a universally adjustable mount for the tool holder. By reason of the number of units employed, it is possible to set up any compound angle by adjusting the members individually to the components of the angle or to the individual angles locating the surface to be ground. Although the general concept of the swivel vise or 3-way angle vise is disclosed in the Wiken patent, the elements of the tool are fit together in a fashion such that they form cantilever arms. As a result, the object which is held and worked on is well off center. This presents several major problems. First, the presence of the grinding wheel or other machine tool working on the object sets up a substantial bending moment on the plurality of intermediate support units which are connected to each other in a pivot or beam like fashion. As a result, it is very easy for the tool to break in one of several locations under normal stress conditions created by the grinding wheel or other operating machine. Second, since the object to be operated on is held well off center, any slight change in any of the intermediate support elements throws the entire set angle off and the entire set of intermediate support elements must be readjusted to achieve the new desired compound angle. This results in a time consuming operation. In addition to the above mentioned defects, the tool disclosed in the Wiken patent has thin bolts interconnecting each part. This, accompanied by the substantial beam like interconnecting design, makes the vise design inherently weak, resulting in a tool which can easily break at numerous different points.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,444,727 issued to Bush discloses a tool whose principal object is to provide a support for a vise, clamp or other work holding medium, adapted to be affixed to a table or bench and which consists of superimposed, cylindrical elements, the upper of which constitutes or carries the work holding means and is capable of rotative and oscillative displacement with respect to the lower and supporting cylindrical element, in different positions thereon throughout a range of 180 degrees about a horizontal axis and 360 degrees on an axis perpendicular to said horizontal axis. As disclosed in FIG. 1, the design of the moving elements are inherently very weak. In both the upper and lower cylinders, the 180 degree movement is achieved by loosening one set screw and rotating the cylinder by the desired amount. This is an extremely weak adjustment and can easily slip if any transverse force is imparted to the object being machined. Since one small screw has to hold all of the cylinders and take the compound force from the machine, this tool can easily break or become bent at numerous locations along the length of the one screw.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,390,428 to Disse discloses a swivel vise which once again enables a piece of work supported by the vise to be presented in substantially any position to a cutting element. As shown in the various figures, especially FIGS. 1, 4, and 6, the design has many of the same inherently weak features as the Wiken patent. The moving elements are locked by small screws and are separated by significant lengths such that forces imparted to one end of an element are multiplied by the bending moment along the length of a member. It is therefore extremely easy for a screw to slip under the heavy pressure imparted to the object held and being worked on by the operating machine such as a milling machine. This could necessitate costly reworking of a part. The inherently weak design also has a lot of areas where parts of the tool can break.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,268 issued to Lorton discloses a swivel vise tool which has many of the same inherently weak features of previous swivel vise designs discussed above. As shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, each element is locked in place by a small screw and has a significant length along which a bending moment from a transverse force at one end can be multiplied. As with the Wiken design, the object to be worked on is off center and a slight movement in one element necessitates readjusting all of the elements. Therefore, as with the other prior art tools, it is easy for an element to move during operation thereby ruining the object being worked on. Further, due to this inherently weak design, there are numerous areas where a part of the tool can break under stress.
A more primitive form of multiple angle vise is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,414,970 issued to Nelson. An example of a very complex universally adjustable multi-angle tool for workholders is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,509,338 issued to Elliott et al. This is an extreme example of a tool with multiple shaft elements which provide numerous weak areas at the multiple joints where the tool can break under stress. Once again, the object being held is well off center and any slight adjustment requires readjusting most of the elements of the tool. Both of these patents disclose movement performed by means of a crank.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,307 issued to Dalmau et al. is another example of a multiple angle vise wherein rotation to different compound angles is achieved through a multiplicity of ball and socket arrangements.
Therefore, all of the prior art designs for swivel vises or 3-way angle vises have weak interconnecting means which can cause an adjustment to slip thereby ruining the part being held and worked on. All of the prior art designs also have inherently weak designs because of the beam like interconnections which serve to set up numerous high stress areas resulting from the force imparted to the object being worked on.
In addition to the above enumerated common defects, the prior art tools also disclose arrangements wherein each desired element of the compound angle must be individually set, with no rapid adjustment to set commonly used angles such as 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees. Further, the designs disclose an arrangement wherein the part being worked on is substantially off center. Therefore, a minor adjustment in one of the elements usually necessitates readjusting everything. Therefore, the designs in the prior art necessitate a time consuming adjustment process to achieve the desired compound angle and a time consuming readjustment process if any modification in a setting is required.
In addition to the above common defects, the prior art tools do not disclose any features which would enable the tool to be converted into any other tool such as an indexing head, a collet holder or a dresser.